


Silent admiration

by LadyBardock



Series: Tauriel [2]
Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works, The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bullying, College, F/M, Harassment, High School, Photography, Stalking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-16
Updated: 2015-07-16
Packaged: 2018-04-09 14:20:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 17,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4352198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyBardock/pseuds/LadyBardock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He observes her, and when she finds out she is being observed by an anonymous stalker she wants to know who he is. Fate crosses their paths at College - will she find out the truth about her new crush?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

He had been observing her for years. The first glance of her rich crimson hair forever staying in his mind. That day she was smiling at someone, while running around the track in her fitness outfit. Her hair was floating in a huge crimson wave behind her. He stood there for what seemed ages and took in the sight.  
  
He would come to the track from time to time to observe her run, she was a keen runner and her schedule was filled with classes and sporting activities. They actually went to two classes together, not that she ever noticed. He always made sure he sat along the wall at the back, it was his favourite invisible spot. He would come in early, take his seat, turn his mp3 to low volume and draw. During those years he drew numerous portraits of her, some simply her but others just a floating mass of crimson hair. His favourite was her wide brown-green eyes surrounded by a mass of red hair. Ever since he posted that one on the wall of his bedroom his brother Fili had been teasing him about the love to a stuck up bitch like her.  
  
She was the Queen of the school, and he was the nothing. She was admired, loathed by many, and he was invisible to all. When he would be alone his heart sometimes ached thinking about his unrequited love. He would dream of her lips, her hair and her smile. He just wished she would smile to him. With time he got used to it. To the longing, to the dissatisfaction and jealousy.  
  
She would walk hand in hand with the most handsome boy in the school. Legolas was a stunning tall blond in the last year, and they were practically inseparable. They came to school in his posh sports car, they would go to lunch together and to most trainings. They were rumoured to be the hottest couple in school, in perfect harmony and love. Both beautiful well dressed, tall, slim and perfect.  
  
He was all she wasn't. He was bad at school, never really paying any attention in class, getting low marks, just enough to pass. He wore practically the same clothes everyday dark jeans and a blue or black t-shirt. His hair was long dark, wavy and always tangled. He didn't drive to school, he usually walked. And he was always alone.  
  
He never made any real friends in school. School was a must. Something his uncle insisted on. The only class he liked was art. He was rather good at sports but he never showed off at school not to get pushed into any team or section. He ignored everyone, but not everyone ignored him. From time to time some dope would tease him, only to get his ass kicked. The teachers didn't really pay attention to him, classifying him long ago as a "lost cause".  
  
His art was something his family teased him about for as long as he could remember. His uncle a prosperous business with an obsession of privacy didn't care much about art. Sure he did hire artists to design new jewellery or catalogues for Erebor Diamonds, but he expected both of his nephews to go into MBA later and not art. For both Fili and Kili, it was insane that such a rich man would pretend to just be an employee in his own company. Erebor Diamonds was making a fortune, but their uncle drove an old Nissan, and they lived in a standard suburban house and wore standard clothes. Thorin Durin was officially the manager of the company he himself owned, and even pretended to send monthly reports to the owner. He only once addressed the problem with a short answer, "It's because of the money that your parents died." And he never elaborated on the topic again.  
  
For Kili it was all the same, he didn't care about money, and observing the one who caught his eye he learned to condemn those who showed off with cash. It was all worthless if there are no feelings in it. It's all pointless if you do it just for show. He sometimes wondered if she was as cold as she seemed to be. If she was really that aloof as everyone thought her to be. He would come to watch her track events, but she never smiled while running any more. She would look away in the distance. He briefly wondered if she stopped feeling the pleasure of running.  
  
That year his art teacher had provoked him to try playing with photography a bit. So next to a huge collection of portraits hanging in his room, there were numerous photos. His artistic portfolio was growing in size, he had painted many, but some were only sketches. His teacher Mrs. Baggins insisted on doing a huge display on the corridors of the school of a mixture of his paintings, drawings and photos. After days of fighting Belladonna Baggins won the battle, and at the beginning of the second term the whole school was covered with re-prints of his best works. Anonymously of course, while he did not mind them seeing the works, he did mind becoming recognised at the school.  
  
The collection of works chosen by Mrs. Baggins showed the school from his point of view. Many students were portrayed, some doing things they shouldn't be doing at school. Some in cute, funny scenes of everyday school life, like Sam Gamgee asking Rosie for a date for the first time. Or headmaster Denethor yelling and spitting on some poor boy who got into trouble. The display was the talk of the school of weeks, and all students were betting on who is the author or authors. Some even claimed to be the authors of the works, but Mrs. Baggins dismissed them easily.  
  
Every day she would stand in front of her own portrait. It was a photo of her running on the track early in the morning. Her hair was slightly wet because of the morning dew. The sun was illuminating her hair even more than normal, and there was small smile on her lips. The picture was magical, and later she even asked Mrs. Baggins the art teacher if she could take it home after the display was over. She kept wondering who had a chance to take that shot, and when exactly was it taken. If she remembered correctly it must have been taken last spring, just before the warm summer season. Who had been there to watch her run? Especially before school? Most students barely made it on time to school, and few were dedicated like her to get up early to train before lessons.  
  
Legolas saw that picture the first day of the display and his brows crossed. He felt a slight attack of jealousy. The moment captured by the author was too private for his taste, and he felt angry that it was on display for everyone to see. Out of all the people in the world he would protect her no matter what, and what seemed to be an innocent photo in his mind grew into a feeling she was actually being stalked.


	2. Chapter 2

The whole school talking about the display made him feel uneasy. Fortunately only one person – Mrs. Baggins knew he was the author. He was used to being invisible, unnoticed, so if anyone linked his name with the pictures he would be a goner. He got so worked up on the idea that someone might find about him, that he even stopped carrying his camera, and he limited drawing to a small pad and only during lessons. He was thankful so many students liked to scribble in pads and notebooks that he blended in well with the crowd.  
  
He saw her stop in front of her photo every day, she would look up if only for a second and take in the sight. Then she would continue walking, however her boyfriend would stop for longer, and every time he did he would gaze at the picture with anger in his eyes clearly visible to all walking about. He also got the awful habit of looking around every time he did that. And poor Kili could feel anxiety kick in every time Legolas did that. He kept having a feeling he was being hunted by the blond, which was nerve wrecking.  
  
But not only Legolas was hunting for him. Soon more and more students were looking around and trying to guess who the author was. Some were just curiously glancing at other's drawings and trying to compare who the author was. Some just observed and watched their friends, while others like Azog Tulewarow were downright brutally ripping notebooks and browsing to find drawings. Azog was pissed as hell when his photo was placed on the wall in front of the headmaster's office. On it the tall pale blond had been choking a boy in the toilet and grinning madly. That was one of the most disturbing photos clearly showing to all the students and teachers that this school had evil walking about.  
  
Kili acted innocently, and stopped drawing at school at all. Instead he tried to draw from memory at home. To the surprise of the school five new pictures were added the following week. One was a photo of irritated Legolas staring at his girlfriends photo, clearly showing the tall blond wasn't so perfect everyone thought him to be. Two drawings showed curious students glancing at other people's notebooks as if trying to guess who the author is. And another two showing the dark sides of students, Azog ripping notebooks and threatening everyone around him.  
  
Legolas after seeing the new photo went to Mrs. Baggins and demanded the name of the author, but she bluntly told him no, which drove the rich boy crazy. He ran out of the office bumping into a small person going to the office. He didn't even glance at Kili, and continued to rush out of the school.  
  
"That was close." Kili murmured walking into Mrs. Baggins office.  
  
"Well we got everyone on their guard." Belladonna commented. "Either we tell them, or they will continue asking."  
  
"No! You've promised!" Kili gasped.  
  
"I know, and now I regret making that promise, even Denethor has been insisting on finding the author of the works." Belladonna gasped and sat on her desk. "I'm having the display taken down at the weekend." Kili just nodded. "Some students came in asking if they can take their own portraits home, would you mind that?"  
  
"No, I don't mind. " Kili sighed.  
  
"Hopefully they will stop talking about it, I've had enough of people visiting me every day, I'm the most popular teacher in school!" Belladonna Baggins started laughing.  
  
. . . . .  
  
"Why on Earth is this hanging in your bedroom?" Legolas demanded seeing her huge portrait hanging on the wall next to her bed.  
  
"I like it." She curtly replied.  
  
"Well I don't like it!" He told her.  
  
"Then go back to your room so you won't be able to see it!" She guided him towards the door and shut it behind him.  
  
She looked back at the photo. It was the best photo she had, and just because her adoptive brother was overprotective and clearly jealous, didn't mean she had to take it down. Transporting the thing home was a burden, but her room seemed to gain new energy just by hanging it there. Thranduil her adoptive father liked it a lot as well, and he just shrugged off his son's reaction. He was a father to her, but he was too busy to be controlling her and shielding her from the world. Legolas from day one took the role of protector, while his father took the role of "the good uncle". Tauriel lost her parents in a car accident many year prior and had no other relatives than a distant cousin of her father's. Fortunately for her Thranduil had more cash and free rooms in his house then he could ever need, so inviting an orphaned relative was not an issue.  
  
At school she spent all her time with Legolas, and they all assumed they were girlfriend and boyfriend just because they came together to school and had different last names. None of them ever had a need to break the image, simply ignoring what other people thought or saw. Looking at the portrait in her room, and remembering the portrait of Legolas looking at her portrait, made her wonder. The second one was under the bed hidden from Legolas, who would be royally pissed if he saw it. He was deadly when he first noticed the new portrait. She wondered about the author a lot in the last days. He was too observant for her taste, and she felt a shiver on her back thinking about the fact that someone took the photo without her even knowing it. She wondered if her facade relationship was the reason why she never noticed someone watching her. She was busy most times at school, if not classes, then training, and all the other times with Legolas at her side. Maybe that someone was interested in her, maybe in other circumstances he would have come and talked with her. Maybe she was missing out on something in her life not even knowing it. Or maybe Legolas's presence and their relationship was the only thing protecting her from someone really dangerous.


	3. Chapter 3

A few weeks went by, but the school still didn't find a new topic to gossip about. Azog got into a lot of trouble with the headmaster after threatening some student, so at least most geeks could rest for some time.  
  
Kili highly regretted doing the display under Mrs. Baggins advice, and after those nerve wrecking weeks he stopped showing up at her office with new works. He decided privacy, so stressed by his uncle as the most valuable of goods, indeed was invaluable. So he decided to keep his art more to himself than ever. Mrs. Baggins was very disappointed at first, but later changed strategy and proposed to get him a recommendation for the art department at the college where Fili was already studying. Kili knew Thorin would never approve but accepted the kind gift anyway. He had one more year of high school before graduation, so there was a spark of hope he might have enough time to convince uncle to allow him at least some art classes, in between that MBA course.  
  
Soon summer came by, and Kili altogether forgot about the stress. Spending more time with his brother also helped him ease a bit. Fili was at College doing exactly what uncle expected him to do – MBA. His college was a two hour drive from home, so Fili would drop by most weekends, but at summer he started work practises in their uncle's company so he was home on a daily basis. They would spend time playing video games, playing football or baseball, or just hanging around with Fili's best friends Ori, Nori and Gimli.  
  
. . . . .  
  
Tauriel always hated summers the most. She spent most of her time being bored. School filled her life completely, she loved learning and reading. She loved living according to a schedule, so during summer she always felt out of place. She would force herself to go running every morning, to train in the gym, do some archery and swimming. She would read books, go out with Legolas, but on the whole she felt very bored.  
  
This summer was different; every time she went into her room she looked at the huge photo and felt a shiver on her back. She spent hours wondering about the author, and wondering about what she would have done if a stranger came up to her. Would it be a friend of a foe? Would he or she make her feel scared or happy? And if it were a he, would he make her shiver in real life like the thought that overcame her when looking at the photo?  
  
. . . . .  
  
He couldn't stop thinking about her; despite the feeling of being hunted he continued to observe her. He knew where she lived since the first year. He knew her favourite running paths and regular schedule of training. When his brother would get up in the morning to go to the office with his uncle, Kili would walk around the neighbourhood with his camera to his favourite observation spot. Several times he saw her in town, near the movie theatre or in the shops. And his collection grew, not only about her, but he took in the whole surroundings, taking photos of random people, some people from school or teachers if he noticed them.  
  
. . . . .  
  
As summer was coming to an end Fili had a long discussion with Thorin. Last year he stayed in a dorm, which drove him crazy. His roommates were annoying, often having parties, girls overnight and made a huge mess. Fili had to go to the library to study, and all weekends tried to come have to have some peace and quiet. However a new possibility came about that year, their cousins Dain and Gimli were accepted to the same University, and they suggested renting a place together with some friends. At the beginning Thorin was against, but after hearing that the cost would be only a bit higher than a standard dorm, but the living conditions much better, he finally agreed. He also reminded Fili to make sure to get some room for Kili as well, since he was expecting them to study at the same College. So later at the end of summer Kili helped Fili move to his new quarters, a big beautiful house, with a gym and swimming pool. They spent two days with Gimli and Dain, who already arrived at the house, having fun, and Kili dreamt of finally finishing school to join them.  
  
. . . . .  
  
The new school year began with some changes. Kili felt optimistic about joining his beloved brother at College, however the choice of course made him really depressed. There was another problem he had to face - his low grades. To get accepted to Fili's College, he had to have grades comparable to Fili's. So his art had to wait, getting to College was more important than anything else. His school habits had to change, no more mp3 listening in class, no more drawing all the time. It was going to be a sad and difficult year for him.  
  
For her many things changed as well, Legolas had already graduated and went to College himself, so she had to drive herself to school, and she would be alone all the time. She felt hesitant about it at first, especially that she knew someone was observing her, and there was a feeling of uneasiness in her about it. She never made any friends at school, girls avoided her and gossiped about her all the time, most boys just looked at her and Legolas would scare them off easily. Now she was facing the whole school alone. The first weeks went by for her fast, she kept busy at school and trainings. However after some time she heard girls sniggering about Legolas, some stupid gossip that she was so sad that Legolas left her and never contacted her. They made jokes about her broken heart, stupid gossip about her being pregnant and left behind and other crap she couldn't just take. They had no idea about anything, and yet they commented and gossiped behind her back. She asked Thranduil what to do, and her father told her to keep her head high. She was strong, she was smart, and so she would handle it.  
  
He heard the gossip, he watched her keep her head even higher when the people started talking shit about her and Legolas. It was common that when a boyfriend graduated the relationship would break up, but talking shit about her all around the school irritated him a lot. But he just watched her calmly walk about, she must have heard those stupid comments, but he could only admire the strength she showed when handling the people around her.  
  
As the weeks went by Kili watched her even more than before. She was all alone, and the school was a pit full of snakes. Before she was treated like a princess or queen, walking around the most handsome boy Legolas, the well known captain of the football team. Now they talked about her behind her back, and he could hear the evil, selfish things they were saying. They were counting ever dollar worth of clothes on her. They were saying she was pregnant, that she slept with everyone. Boys were joking about how good or how bad she was in bed, girls would threw shit at her about her looks and clothes. He knew better. He had been watching her for years, she didn't sleep about with everyone, and she did not chat with any boys at school or outside school. She was a good student learning a lot, she was training a lot, and she was much more then the people talking shit about her.


	4. Chapter 4

The first months of school went by fast, and as Christmas was approaching and the winter break, Kili felt that it was easier than he thought it would be. Paying attention in class, and a bit of learning was enough to get his grades up, most teachers were surprised with his progress so they encouraged the change. Mrs. Baggins gave him the recommendation letter she promised, and she even spoke to an art Professor at the College to help him arrange two courses at one time. She stopped bugging him about any more works or displays, but she encouraged him to try new things and to seek his own path.  
  
Thorin had done lots of thinking, he noticed the dedication Kili was showing in learning and getting into College, and slowly he began warming up to the idea that Kili had talent in art as well.  
  
When Christmas finally came, and Fili returned home for the holidays, Thorin had a surprise for both of his beloved nephews. Instead of normal presents he decided to do something more original. To give them both a chance. Kili was really stunned when his uncle told him about what he had arranged for him. Thorin decided to test Kili in the only way he could, he gave him a job. Not just some job, he gave him the task of preparing a professional photo session for the new collection of Erebor Diamonds. If Kili managed to pull it off in style, he would allow the boy to take art as a second course at College. For Fili the present was also a task in itself. As Thorin guided both boys to the garage, at first they had their hopes up that Fili would get a new car, but seeing the old ragged car in the garage made them both upset. However their uncle had a different idea in mind, it wasn't a present it was a task. He gave Fili a large sum of cash and deadline, and the task was to renovate the car and prove he could manage his time, money and work hard at the same time.  
  
"It's a Ford Shelby from 67, so yes it is rusty and ragged. But if you put time and effort in it, you'll have the best car on the campus!" Thorin told the surprised Fili.  
  
"Can I help him?" Kili ask shyly.  
  
"Well yes of course, after all you are brothers; you should always help each other." Thorin decided.  
  
"So I can help Kili organise the photo shoot?" Fili asked surprised.  
  
"If you wish to help him." Thorin told them, and both boys smiled. Those were the best presents they could get.  
  
. . . . .  
  
Tauriel finally felt safe at Christmas, she could stay home where no one would bother her. Legolas was really upset when he heard the students at school were teasing her and playing with her feelings, but there was nothing he could do being away at College. He tried to make it up for her during Christmas and weekends, but he couldn't help but worry about her. It was just several months more; her grades were great so she would be accepted to any Collage she would like and to any course. She had no idea what she wanted to study, and time was slowly pressing her to make a decision. Legolas chose law, there was a tradition in the family, however his father wasn't at all pleased. So Tauriel considered pleasing her adoptive father and going to MBA to take over some of the business in the future. Thranduil had many companies and many investments to run, and little time for himself and for his family. Taking over some of the burden in Tauriel's eyes gave her the chance to repay the kindness she was given as a homeless orphan.  
  
. . . . .  
  
After the winter break the school was really peaceful. Most students were happy and relaxed, and others were already enthusiastic about the upcoming Prom Ball. There was a lot of learning, lots of final exams on the way, but the last year students were all thinking about their future and not the now. Well most of them at least.  
  
Azog was having a very bad year. Last year he suspended for a long time, and the headmaster told him that if any more trouble occurred he would be expelled from the school. So Azog had to keep in check, and he had to learn at least a bit to pass the final exams. He was irritated as hell, he still struck fear in the geeks he would normally beat up, but this year he couldn't do anymore beating up which frustrated him. He was still pissed at those photos from last year, but no matter how much he threatened people around the school, no one knew who the author was. After long weeks of frustration he finally found a new target. The newest gossip queen of the school, the beautiful tall, proud Tauriel Mirkwood. He began following her around to see with whom she spend her time and what did she do during the day. He knew which car was hers, and what time he had track trainings. He soon realized that without Legolas she was all alone, with any friends or protection. He just smirked anytime he noticed her; she would be an easy target. He started his assault by slipping in notes into her locker.  
  
. . . . .  
  
"I want to see you on your knees like dog, I will make you scream with pleasure like no other man could."  
  
"Bow before me bitch, because that's what you are a lousy bitch in heat in need for a good cock. I'm watching you."  
  
"You're tight training outfit makes me stone hard, and when you bend down to stretch I want to rip it off you!"  
  
The notes she kept finding made her really scared. She knew she had been stalked for a long time, but even the crazy photo did not make her scared. She had a feeling this was something new, either her stalker decided to take a step forward, or this was one more crazy mobbing from the girls and boys from school. The photo was beautiful, she loved looking at it. The person who did it had talent, and probably admiration to her beauty. But this was low, the notes were vulgar, irritating, and achieved what her stalker didn't – they struck real fear in her. She didn't show them to anyone, she wanted to talk to someone about it, but her only solution was to pray the school year finally came closer.  
  
Soon she would find other things which made her even more worried. One day it was obvious her locker had been broken into and her training clothes were covered in cum. She threw them away and stopped keeping valuable stuff in her locker, but it made her absolutely terrified. She kept feeling people touching her. It was like a breeze on her back, in the crowd of students in the main corridor she could sometimes feel a hand glide over her arse. She was scared to go to school, she stopped going to trainings in the morning, and she stopped wearing close fitting clothes at school.


	5. Chapter 5

Having been busy with his new job, it took Kili several weeks to notice that something was wrong with Tauriel. Her clothes style changed rapidly. She was constantly on alert, pale and always looking around. She reminded him of a rabbit desperately trying to avoid a predator. Gone was head up high and confidence, her strength had crumbled because of something he missed. She never used her locker anymore, she avoided all trainings and all crowds. She would walk along walls trying to avoid all people on her way. She would slip into class, and sneak out as fast as possible. Just after the bell she would rush to her car and drive away. She stopped eating lunch at the canteen, instead she stayed in class with the history or Spanish teacher. After several days of constant watching he noticed she was terrified. Terrified of being at school and of students. And he was smart enough to know gossip could never achieve this level of stress. She was being stalked she was being taunted and tormented. And he just had to find out by who. That was when Azog decided to take a next step.  
  
Tauriel was walking along the wall, heading towards her next classroom, when two strong hands landed on the wall on both sides of her face. She knew Azog had a bad reputation at school, and she knew the lustful eyes which looked straight into her eyes. She was tall, but he was a bit taller. His pale blue eyes filled with all the disgusting emotions she feared so much. She should have know it was him, that was her last thought before he leaned in and started whispering into her ear.  
  
"Are you wet for me girl?" He whispered. "Or has someone already done you good today?" She gasped hearing those words. She looked around for any help, but crowd of people was minding their own business. "If you're a smart girl you'll meet me at the track after school." He breathed in her smell and moved his lips along her neck. She felt disgust clench her stomach. Suddenly he fell down, holding his side clearly in pain. Someone moved fast in the crowd, but she could not see a face or recognise that person.  
  
Kili ducked at the next turn of the corridor, hoping no one noticed what he had just done. Giving Azog a surprise kidney shot was his only option. What Azog had done to his beautiful Tauriel was despicable and he would make sure nothing like that happened to her ever again. The same day he went to Mrs. Baggins and asked if she could organise a special display again for him. The older woman just smiled when he told her his plan.  
  
The next day the school had been covered with a new selection of photos. All the wall showed to the world who Azog really was, it was exhibition of cruelty, evil and bullying. The selection of photos tormenting many of the students walking along those same corridors was thrilling. Azog in the toilet fingering a school whore. Azog hitting a nerd from the second year. Azog pissing on the school football field. Azog smoking in the men's bathroom. Azog and his pack of dogs showing their middle fingers to the teacher on corridor duty. Azog spilling a drink on another's student's head in the canteen. The collection was huge. And Denethor couldn't ignore what he and all the other teachers and student saw. Azog was terrified for the first time in his life when he was called into the headmaster's office, only to see his father already sitting next to the headmaster's desk.  
  
. . . . .  
  
She skipped school for several days, she told Thranduil she felt ill and she was allowed to stay home. Thranduil was worried about her, something must have happened to her, but she did not want to talk about it. So he decided to give her time.  
  
When she finally came back a week later, the display of photos was still hanging. She went along the corridors and looked at all the despicable things Azog had been doing not only to her but to other people as well. She was just one more victim. She headed to the office of the school counsellor to finally let go of some of the pain.  
  
Mrs. Estella Brandybuck was a kind lady, and she was happy that Tauriel finally decided to talk about her problems. She noticed the change in the girl as well, but after gently trying to talk about it she got no explanations. Now the girl came out of her own will, and it wasn't surprising that she was one more of Azog's victims. She reassured the girl that Azog had been expelled after all those photos came to light, and that he would be removed from the school if he decided to show up again. She advised the girl not to go out alone in the mornings or afternoons, and go out to town only with friends if possible.  
  
Tauriel came home and decided to rest for the rest of the day. She lay down on her bed looking at the photo on the wall. And suddenly it hit her. The person who took her shot was the one who got rid of Azog, those were his photos. He was the one who saved her. But then it dawned on her, she still had a stalker roaming about.


	6. Chapter 6

The next Monday she came to school feeling anxious. She went to her locker and cleaned it out of more stupid notes gathered there since she stopped using it. She threw everything away, changed the lock code and went into her first class. She was calm, more calm then she had been in weeks. Azog was gone from the school, but her long time stalker was still lurking in the shadows. Somehow she didn't feel that scared, so far it was just a photo, the feeling of being observed and later what happened to Azog. She had no real proof someone was stalking her. Last weekend Legolas gave her a lecture about punishment and symptoms of stalking, but even if she suspected someone was observing her, she didn't feel the need to notify the police. She didn't feel all that worried. She had a feeling if this stalker was going to make his move it would have been a long time ago. She started analyzing her surroundings more carefully, but she didn't notice anything or anyone suspicious. With passing weeks she felt a bit more at ease. The school year was slowly coming to an end. She decided not to go to the prom ball, so it was just a few more weeks till exams and then finally she would join Legolas at College.  
  
. . . . .  
  
Kili had a rough few last weeks, he was studying hard to get results good enough to be accepted into college, and at the same time with Fili's help he was slowly progressing with the photo shoot. He'd seen the previous catalogs, and he decided to choose three locations not one. He picked a group of models, mostly normal looking women between the age of thirty and forty, and they planned out the photo shoot just after his final high school exams.  
  
To his surprise the exams went well, good enough to succeed in joining Fili at college. The shoot later was all what he expected and his uncle later browsing and selecting photos with him commented that those were the best promotion photos the company had in many years. Fili's car was in its final stage of renovation, and after the shoot Kili made a beautiful design for the paint job. Together they chose the colours of the interior and Kili spent many hours drawing the final pattern on the car.  
  
The summer weeks went by fast for the brothers, and in the last week they packed into their new car and drove to their college. Kili chose the room he wanted earlier; it was the sunniest one perfect for painting. Along with Dain and Gimli they settled in again, and spent the last week goofing around and having fun. It soon turned out that Kili took charge of the kitchen, because none of the other boys knew anything about cooking, and the last year they all lived on fast food and frozen food. The last weekend their last two housemates were suppose to arrive. They arrived late at night on Friday, and the next morning while Kili was sitting in the living room listening to him mp3 player and drawing in his sketchbook, somebody unexpected came into the room.  
  
Tauriel walked into the living room and noticed a young boy on the sofa, she said hello, but he did not answer her, so she just walked on into the kitchen to get something to drink. After a few minutes someone came into the room yelling "Keee!" and she saw a short blond man with long hair and a beard poke the boy on the sofa. It dawned on her why he didn't reply, he was listening to music. The brunette from the sofa looked startled at the blond man and pulled out his earplugs only to hear the blond begging for some coffee. He got up and walked towards the kitchen and stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed her.  
  
"Hi." She said quietly.  
  
"Hi." He replied and then there was an awkward silence. Kili was completely shocked to see her in their kitchen standing there and drinking a cup of coffee. And she just took in the sight of the stranger in front of her, his long brown hair, slim short statue, and deep brown eyes gazing at her intensely.  
  
"Keee make three coffees!" The blond yelled from the living room.  
  
"Right away!" The boy jumped to the coffee machine and with skill started making four coffees; he put them on a platter and carried them into the living room. Tauriel observed him curiously, going around the kitchen with ease, and followed him into the living room.  
  
Legolas was already sitting with the blond man on the sofa, and Gimli was on an armchair just near the window.  
  
"Legolas I believe you've never met my brother. Kili, this is Legolas, my former team mate and our house mate." Fili introduced his brother to the tall blond man.  
  
"And this is my sister Tauriel." Legolas brought the girl closer to the men. "This is Fili, he's studying MBA like you but on the third year, and this is Gimli, he's studying law on the same year as I am. And so this is Kili the younger brother of Fili."  
  
"So we've got a girl as a housemate!" Gimli yelled with enthusiasm.  
  
"Hands off my sister!" Legolas grimed at Gimli.  
  
"Never!" Gimli gave Tauriel a wide encouraging smile. "We have a girl in the house; we have Kili to cook, and Fili to get the booze! This is going to be the best year ever!"  
  
"Yeah coming to that, today is the last Saturday before classes start, I was thinking about a party!" Fili smiled happily at his friends.  
  
"Lots of food booze and pot!" Gimli sighed happily. "Did you bring your play station from home Fili? I'll invite Ori, Nori and maybe that geek Lindir."  
  
"That means I need to go shopping." Kili sighed.  
  
"Hey I'm coming with you, we need to get booze as well, and you're not driving my car!" Fili told his brother.  
  
"We'll it looks like we have a plan!" Legolas said. "I'm going to get the pot! See you all later."  
  
"You'll get used to it my dear." Gimli smiled at her warmly. "Which room did you take?"  
  
"Legolas showed me to the room next to his. The one on the left upstairs." Tauriel explained.  
  
"Well that used to be Eomers room, nice and cosy. I hope you'll give this house a woman's touch; it's been only us men here so far. But if you notice that something needs cleaning or anything, don't hesitate to force us to do it. Only Kili's off limits for cleaning, since he'll be doing most of the cooking." Gimli started explaining their housing arrangements. "That Kili is a talented kid, especially in the kitchen, last year our aunt Mathilda broke her leg just a week before Thanksgiving. And the whole family always comes to her house for Thanksgiving. Her son Bombur he's very talented as well, he's actually been accepted to the Masterchef program on TV. Anyway when everyone arrived the dinner was ready and served, all thanks to Kili and Bombur. That was the best Thanksgiving in my life." The red haired man smile at the thought. "Anyway if you need any help carrying stuff or anything just ask, my room is upstairs at the end of the corridor." He smiled at her and showed her towards the garden. "We've got the swimming pool all to ourselves, and there is a huge gym in the basement. There are four rooms upstairs, one is empty, and four more on the ground. Kili, Fili and Dain, our last house mate, took those. There is a big laundry room in the basement, and a pantry as well. Don't be surprised if you find Kili's notes asking to do the shopping, poor lad is doing two courses at the same time, so it's going to be difficult for him."  
  
"Two courses that's very ambitious." Tauriel commented.  
  
"Well it's not about ambition. Heh keep this between us, but their uncle is an ass, and he forced the poor kid to take MBA, while he really wanted to do something completely different. So after years of arguing he's going to try to do both things at the same time." Gimli lowered his voice.  
  
"And what's his other course?" Tauriel asked curiously.  
  
"You see that painting over there?" Gimli pointed at a huge painting that she noticed the moment she walked into the house. She even promised herself to take a closer look later in daylight. She just nodded looking at Gimli's inquisitive glare. "Believe me when I say this, he's going to do that MBA just to please his uncle, but many years in the future that boy is going to be a world famous painter."


	7. Chapter 7

Driving to the shop Fili was unusually silent. As soon as he parked the car in front of the supermarket he motioned Kili to stay in the car.  
  
"I know who that girls is." He finally said looking into Kili's eyes. "Legolas is one of my best friends, and all last year he's been worried about a stalker following her around."  
  
"It wasn't me." Kili quietly spoke.  
  
"I know all that shit at school wasn't you. But you can't deny you've been doing more than just watching her." Fili pointed out to guilty Kili. "I've heard enough on the topic of stalking during the last year to know that your huge collection of drawings and photos might get you really in trouble. If they ever find out about what you have been doing the last five - six years, you could even go to prison."  
  
Kili looked away and out of the window. "I love her."  
  
"You think you love her, you really don't know anything about her. You're just obsessed with her looks and body." Fili brutally told his younger brother. "Now listen to a good piece of advice, try going out more, find yourself a nice girlfriend and get laid. Stay away from her, she's just our housemate and she's big trouble for you."  
  
Kili watched his big brother with sad eyes, but said nothing.  
  
. . . . .  
  
Tauriel went to her room to unpack and rearrange some things. She brought she lace curtains with her, and other favourite decorations including her huge photo. Legolas was irritated she took it with her, but she gave him no say on the topic. She was putting her books on the shelves in her room when she heard a knock. It was Gimli to tell her he was going out, and asked if she needed anything. She just shook her head and focused on arranging her things. She noticed Gimli glance at the huge portrait and a short comment "Beautiful picture" and he bid her goodbye. She pulled out her training outfit and decided to try out the gym in the basement. She was really thankful there was a treadmill, after all the stalking she stopped running outdoors much. After training hard she returned to her room, took a shower and lay down with a good book.  
  
After some time a tempting smell made her walk down into the common area. She saw Kili in the kitchen rolling pizza dough and preparing the food for the party.  
  
"Hi, would you like some help?" She kindly asked him.  
  
"Nah I'm fine. If you're hungry dinner is in the oven." He pointed towards the oven to his right.  
  
"That would be great." She reached for the oven door and pulled out a tray with baked beef with vegetables and potatoes. "It smells great." She told him, and he just replied with a smile.  
  
"Boeuf Bourguignon" He replied. „I hope you like it."  
  
She put a portion of the stew on a plate, put the tray back into the warm oven and sat down at the kitchen table.  
  
"So what are you preparing for the party?" She asked taking a first bite.  
  
"Garlic bread, pizza and two salads." He told her still not believing she is actually sitting there eating food he made and actually talking with him.  
  
She focused on the tasty food on her plate and took in the sight of the chef. She couldn't help but think he looked cute in a white apron, his dark long hair tied back and flour on his hands and clothes. He clearly enjoyed what he was doing. She quickly finished her food and decided to stick around.  
  
"Is there another apron anywhere?" She asked timidly, and he just pointed to a cupboard on the bottom left. She took out another white apron and put it on.  
  
"So what can I do to help?" She asked with a smile.  
  
. . . . .  
  
Fili just crossed his brows seeing them both in the kitchen, chatting about cooking and fixing the food for the party. It seemed to him Kili won't be the only person cooking in their house. He observed them both for while and noticing his brother was keeping his distance he relaxed a bit. He told Kili only half of what he wanted to, this whole situation wasn't going to be easy for both of them.  
  
Soon Legolas, Gimli and Dain come to the kitchen to get dinner and to talk more about the party and plans. So they all sat down at the dining table in the living room and they decided on a list of guests. Most people were already on campus, waiting for the Monday classes, so it was easy to get hold of their friends to invite them.  
  
"So when is the party starting?" Tauriel asked Legolas who brought the dirty plates back to the kitchen and put them in the dishwasher.  
  
"Well we're starting at the pool soon, but most people will come around eight."Her brother explained to her.  
  
"Am I going to be the only girl?" She asked worried.  
  
"Of course not, we have a sorority two houses away, so it's going to be quite crowded." Legolas explained.  
  
"I'm not sure I'd like crowded at all." She murmured and focused on the salad she was finishing. She took off her apron folded it and put it away.  
  
"I'm going to get changed and I'll see you at the swimming pool." She smiled at him. "And don't worry I'll help you later as well."  
  
He just couldn't stop staring at her leaving the kitchen, his brain still trying to process what had just happened.  
  
. . . . .  
  
The pool was just what she needed, she loved swimming, so she jumped in and did a few laps. Soon her housemates joined in and suggested playing volleyball. She was quite surprised to see Fili, Dain and Gimli in swimming trunks for the first time, they were all short, and buff, but under those clothes they had tones of muscles. Her brother Legolas was the opposite, he was very tall, very slim, and lean. While Kili was something in between. He was the tallest of the cousins, and thinner, but no less muscular and lean. Playing three against three, Tauriel, Gimli and Fili won the first match, but lost the second one. Soon they decided it was time to get ready for the real party, so Tauriel regrettably got out of the swimming pool aware that five pairs of male eyes were taking in her every curve. Somehow she did not feel threatened. She rushed to her room, took a quick shower and put on a black mini dress. She quickly combed her hair and went into the kitchen to start preparing the food. Soon Kili joined her, also with wet hair and in fresh clothes. He was surprised to see her there before him, but did not say a thing.


	8. Chapter 8

For her the party was too loud, and there were too many people she did not know. After eating a bit of Kili's delicious pizza, and grabbing a beer she went into Fili's room where the play station was set up. Kili was car racing against Ori, and just two more people were in the room observing the race.  
  
"I'm racing against the winner." She told them standing behind the sofa and sipping on her beer. As soon as Ori dropped out, she sat in his place on the sofa.  
  
"Do you know how this works?" Kili asked her grinning.  
  
"Do you know you're going to lose?" She replied with a menacing smile, which caused his to burst out in laugher. And she could only think that she loved hearing him laugh.  
  
They had a great time, soon it was evident who lost and Tauriel had to face Bofur for a next race. After racing they went on to other games, and had lots of fun.  
  
"Would you like something to drink?" Kili whispered leaning towards Tauriel.  
  
"Anything will be fine." She smiled and continued to beat the boys at their favourite games. After a few minutes he came back with some drinks. She got a strange orange one, but it tasted great so she didn't complain.  
  
After playing all evening they decided to watch funny films on YouTube using Fili's huge TV. And they sat together on the big sofa and laughed all the time. Kili was very conscious of Tauriel sitting just next to him, he loved to see her smile and laugh, to feel her warm leg touch his when she would jump seeing something surprising. Every time he went to get more drinks of snacks, she would always make sure he had a spot to sit right next to her. Fili curious what they were doing in his room, walked in smoking a joint. He sat on the floor next to the sofa and passed the joint to Tauriel.  
  
"Ladies first." He smiled at her, she hesitated a bit but inhaled and passed it to Kili. He did the same and after one try passed it one to the others in the room. They were all having a great time, but Fili suggested it was time to leave his room for him, and gently suggested they go into the main area.  
  
The living room was crowded with people despite the very late hour. Some people were dancing and drinking, other just drinking and talking. Someone was goofing around the pool.  
  
Tauriel, feeling the alcohol kick in, decided it was time to go to sleep so she said goodbye to Kili and walked up towards her room. Kili watched her with a sad face, and turned to his own room feeling regret that this special night was over.  
  
After a few minutes Tauriel rushed into his room with a huge blush on her cheeks. She closed the door behind her and sat on the floor. She looked at him pleadingly but he had no idea what happened.  
  
"Tauriel are you okay?" He asked sitting on the floor just next to her and taking her hand into his.  
  
"I can't go back to my room." She whispered terrified.  
  
"What happened? Tell me please?" He asked gently.  
  
"I need to go to the toilet!" She suddenly got up and ran into his bathroom.  
  
It took her a few minutes to compose herself and return into the room. Kili turned off the main light and was laying on his bed. She walked up and sat next to him, and he gently put his arm around her sitting figure. "So what happened?" He asked gently.  
  
"I wanted to go to sleep, so I went to my room..." She spoke just above a whisper.  
  
"And?" He encouraged her to talk on.  
  
"And my room was taken." She replied still in whisper.  
  
"What do you mean it was taken?" He asked.  
  
She took a deep breath and finally gasped "Someone was having sex in my bed! So it's obvious like hell I couldn't stay there!" He looked at her shocked, but not that all surprised, after all this was one more crazy party his brother told him about. One of the main reasons for these parties was to find a one night stand and get laid, so it's not surprising that a random couple would try to find an empty bedroom.  
  
"I'm just so tired and the party in the living room is nowhere near finished!" She signed deeply. "And even if they finish I can't go and sleep in a dirty bed." She looked so helpless that he knew he would regret it later, but there was only one thing he could say to her.  
  
"You can stay here if you like." He whispered quietly.  
  
"I can't go to sleep in this dress." She whispered. He got up and pulled out a t-shirt from his drawer and threw it to her. She just smiled and went into the bathroom again. He locked the door to his room and sighed deeply. If Fili finds out about this, he's as good as dead. Not to mention Legolas and his deep over protectiveness of his sister. They would both slaughter him.  
  
She came back and the t-shirt seemed to be longer than the tiny dress she wore all evening, which reassured him he would survive this night somehow. He grabbed his pyjamas and ran to the bathroom, and when he came back she was already under the covers laying on her side. He slipped in trying not to touch her and tried to sleep.  
  
But both realised sleep was not going to be easy. The music from the living room was turned down, however the noises from the surrounding rooms were more disturbing.  
  
They both lay on their backs looking at the ceiling and thinking the same thing "Damn this is awkward". Both inexperienced in these matter, they listened and tried not to listen at the same time.  
  
Tauriel pulled out the pillow from under her head and covered her head with it. "I can't take it anymore!" She gasped.  
  
"This is worse than hell." He whispered.  
  
"Are people always that noisy when having sex?" She asked desperately.  
  
"I'm not sure." He replied curtly. "I think it's the alcohol and pot, that makes them so eager." She started laughing wildly.  
  
"This is so embarrassing!" She exclaimed putting her pillow back under her head.  
  
"What is more embarrassing is that we are both listening in together..." He murmured with shame.  
  
She suddenly started giggling without a reason. He looked at her with surprise "Tell me what's so funny!" He said in a murderous tone.  
  
"This whole situation is just so funny!" She was laughing. "I just had the craziest thought in my life!" She kept giggling.  
  
"What kind of crazy thought?" He asked her with an intense stare.  
  
"It's too embarrassing to say." She continued giggling like a little girl.  
  
"Nothing can be more embarrassing to listening to a drunk orgy all around us." He whispered into her ear.  
  
"No I won't tell you!" She grabbed her pillow and hit him with it. He grinned madly at her and started tickling her, which made her giggle even more. "Tell me know or I'll tickle you to death!" She shivered hearing his deadly tone, and kept giggling. "It's too embarrassing..." She smiled and pushed him back on his back and straddled his hips. She leaned over him, and her hair covered them both, as she moved her lips along his ear and spoke barely above a whisper. "I was wondering what it feels like to lose control like that."  
  
"Really?" He gasped surprised. "That's not all." He noticed.  
  
"You're right that's not all. I was also wondering if we would make such noises if we were having sex." She could virtually hear his stop breathing after those words. She could feel his whole body tremble under her, and when she leaned back she could see a warm gaze of lust in his eyes.  
  
"Don't play with fire..." He whispered trying to catch his breath.  
  
"I would like to feel a real fire..." She whispered back, looking deep into those drilling dark eyes of his.  
  
"You're going to regret this later!" He told her.  
  
"No I won't..." She gently touched his lips, gently kissing him for the first time.  
  
Suddenly he flipped her over on her back, with strength she suspected he had. And suddenly his hands landed on her body, and his lips pressed even harder against hers. She could feel his tongue on her lips, and she let him plunge into her mouth. Soon all their clothes were on the floor, and their naked bodies fought for domination. However inexperienced, both were fuming with sexual needs and desires. She refused to just lay on her back, she bit his lips, pushed him under her and she demanded equality in their intercourse.  
  
" Just be careful." She told him, as he was putting on a condom and gently touching her womanhood. "Of course I will Princess." He told her. "You don't understand" She told him gently. "It's my first time." She admitted hesitantly. "For me too." He whimpered and looked her straight in the eyes. "If you want me to stop, just say so." He spoke desperately. She grabbed him by his hips, and forced his body against hers, and whispered "Never!" as she felt him enter her body. It all went crazy after that, they both stopped thinking and only felt the pleasure of what they were doing. He dived into her willing body with strength, held her tight and showed her passion beyond belief. She held on to him tightly accepting every movement of his body and urging him to go deeper and harder. They were lost for the world, and the world was lost for them.  
  
As they lay afterwards listening to a finally quieting down house, she wrapped her arms around him and put her head on his cheat. "I don't think we were that loud." She whispered. "We need more practise." He replied with a smile. As she was falling asleep she could swear she could hear him whispered into her ear that he loved her. But she was too tired and drunk and satisfied to focus on anything but sleeping.


	9. Chapter 9

She woke up before dawn, feeling out of place. For starters she was naked, and she never slept naked. The second thing that hit her was that she was tightly pressed to an equally naked male body. It was actually very pleasant and warm; under her hands she could feel a slim muscular body. Slowly her brain tried to sort out all the information from last night. She remembered the party, but it was hazy at best. She remembered feeling distressed and running to safety. She remembered feeling embarrassed, but yet she felt safe. She gently shifted to get a better look at her companion, and smiled when she saw it was him. She had a feeling from the start about him, but doing the crazy stuff she did last night was completely not like her. Well losing your virginity to a person you met barely yesterday would be the craziest thing on any person's list. He was equally cute in his sleep as he was in daylight. She wondered about where this would lead to. He was her house mate, so going to bed with him was the worst possible scenario. She was inexperienced in any type of relationships, and had a feeling she didn't want to yell out to the world about what she just did. If Legolas found out they would be both dead. She would die hearing a huge lecture and from long life nagging, while her partner in crime would be skinned to death. No more alcohol and joints for a long time, she promised herself. She looked back at him, to see him stare at her. He leaned forward and gently kissed her. She could feel why she did what she did several hours earlier. The spark, the immediate connection was still there. She pulled him closer and immediately the kiss turned into something more. Their connection was powerful, and it wasn't just the alcohol or drugs, she realised. With him she felt like she could go crazy and he would keep up with her. She was naked, but felt proud of her body feeling his hands touching her gently. She should be embarrassed due to her inexperience, but she remembered that he said he was equally inexperienced as her. Here in bed they were equal, sharing equal passion, and together they would see the world turn to dust.  
  
Their second time was gentler than the first. The flame was there, but they weren't as frantic as previously. She took control, and he let her. They took their time to enjoy their bodies, to touch and explore. They melted into one, and kissed gently. It was him who started to show her passion, who pushed her to go harder this time. She just smiled into the kiss, and let him control the pace of their lovemaking. She could see the stars, and as he held her when she came, she could feel him tremble with desire. He smiled at her and started moving again, this time much harder, which drove her into her second orgasm. She bit his shoulder not to cry out loud, and held onto him.  
  
As they lay on the bed, trying to catch their breaths, Kili could only think about how fantastic she was. She was perfect, more perfect than he had imagined. More beautiful, more sensual, more desirable. She was so much more than he dreamt of. Yet deep inside he could feel the fear build up in him, fear of rejection came back, fear that she would find out about what he had been doing the last several years. He even feared she would find out they actually went to school together and lived close by for years. And that he had been watching and dreaming about her for all those years. He feared what would happen if Fili and Legolas found out. He feared what would happen next, if she would treat him seriously or just treat him like a friend.  
  
"I don't feel like sleeping anymore." She whispered to him.  
  
"It's still very early the others won't be up anytime soon." He noticed. "What would you like to do?"  
  
"I would love to go jogging." She admitted. "To see the sun rise."  
  
"Shower after or before?" He asked grinning.  
  
She giggled "After, I'll get sweaty anyway."  
  
"You would have to sneak into your room, and hope it's vacant to get some training clothes." He noticed.  
  
"Nope, my training outfit is drying in the laundry." She explained in a wide smile.  
  
"Fine, give me five minutes to get dressed and get it for you." He got up and rushed to the toilet. He came back dressed in a black track suit. "I'll be right back." He kissed her and went to the laundry room to get her clothes. He swiftly came back to the room, gave her the clothes and asked with a smile "Breakfast before or after?"  
  
"After, I always eat after running. If I eat before I run only one third of my normal distance and get tired." She explained.  
  
"You're coming with me?" She noticed him put on running trainers.  
  
"A sunrise with you at my side? I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world." He looked at her longingly.  
  
. . . . .  
  
When they came back an hour later the house was dead quiet. So they sneaked back into Kili's room to have a shower. It was strange for her to have shower with someone, but soon it turned into a sensual game of touching, kissing, washing and pleasing at the same time.  
  
"I could really get used to this." Tauriel whispered.  
  
"When it's as quiet as today, we could stay here for hours and no one would notice." Kili smiled to her.  
  
"Do you think they will notice anything?" She whispered.  
  
"Only if we want them to." He replied.  
  
"I would really want to keep this private. If you know what I mean." She whispered.  
  
"If they find out, I'm dead." He noticed. "But on the other hand, keeping this private and keeping my hands off you in public might be a bit challenging."  
  
"What if I keep your hands busy in private, so you would get tired and wouldn't feel the need to touch me in public?" She smiled evilly.  
  
"You can try." He smiled back. "However it will take a lot of private time, we might not have in this house."  
  
"I'm hungry." She whispered.  
  
"Let's find you some decent clothes first." He grinned looked at her dressed only in a towel. "T-shirt and short sweatpants?"  
  
"In my favourite colour?" She asked crossly.  
  
"Yup, only black available." He threw the clothes in her direction.


	10. Chapter 10

The whole house was woken up two hours later by a yelling Legolas. It turned out he went into Tauriel's room only to find two people in bed. At first he thought it was his sister, but after waking the startled couple, he frantically began looking for his beloved sister. He found her chatting in the living room with Fili's younger brother and Gimli.  
  
"Why were there some people in your room?" He asked her.  
  
"Well, they probably thought it was vacant." She replied.  
  
"So where did you sleep?" He gazed at her crossly.  
  
"On the sofa." She replied. "But it was very uncomfortable so actually I didn't sleep much." She tried to hid a slight blush and trembling hands. She was horrible at lying and she knew it. "Would you like some breakfast?"  
  
"Nah, I'd throw up…" He made a strange face. He dropped half dead on the armchair and looked around. "Since you didn't sleep much, you could have at least cleaned this mess." He scolded her.  
  
"To your information I've joined the cooking section, so I'm not planning to clean anything at all." She smiled radiantly at him. "Actually since no one seems to be hungry, I'm going out." She got up and began walking towards her room.  
  
She ran up the stairs, her room was finally empty, after Legolas had chased the couple away, so she could do some cleaning. She took the sheets off, opened the window and took all the washing to the laundry room. After making her bed, changing into her normal clothes, and making sure she locked the door, she sneaked down to Kili's room to give him his clothes back. The TV was on loud in the living room, so she knew Gimli and Legolas were probably busy.  
  
Kili was in his room, gathering all the clothes from the floor and cleaning up a bit.  
  
"So where are you planning to go?" He asked her, noticing she was all dressed up.  
  
"A spin around town, I need to know where everything is." She smiled and jangled her car keys.  
  
"Is that an invitation?" He asked hesitantly, still unsure what their everyday relation will be.  
  
"Of course it is stupid." She said kissing him gently.  
  
"I'll see you in ten minutes in the garage." She smiled and walked away, still feeling his eyes on her.  
  
. . . . .  
  
"So that's our lecture hall?" She asked seeing a huge building in the main campus. Her drive around town turned into Kili telling her where everything was. "Let's go and take a closer look." She parked the car and they got out. After thirty minutes of walking around the campus, she asked if there was a shopping centre near the campus. So they ended up seeing that, she was a bit disappointed with the size of the mall, but she could always go back home to do the shopping. "So is there a cinema anywhere near here?" She asked taking him by the hand.  
  
"Of course there is, do you think they are playing anything worth watching?" He smiled at her.  
  
"Is that an invitation?" She asked smiling at him.  
  
"Of course it is princess." And he pulled her into a gentle kiss.  
  
. . . . .  
  
They came home around dinner time, and the living room was already clean but empty.  
  
"I'll go start dinner." She smiled at him. "I think you should go check where everyone is."  
  
He found them in Fili's room playing on the play station. Fili and Dain were laying on the bed, still zombiefied, while Gimli and Legolas were car racing.  
  
"Are you guys hungry?" He asked them.  
  
"What's on the menu?" Legolas asked.  
  
"Spaghetti and garlic bread." Kili replied. "Dinner will be ready in like forty minutes."  
  
"They are all half dead." Kili whispered into her ear as soon as he came into the kitchen. "What kind of sauce are you making?" He glared curiously into the pot.  
  
"It's a spicy marinara sauce." She turned and gently kissed him. "So since we're in a public place, we should rather talk and not make out. So can you tell me more about the painting in the living room?"  
  
"I gave Fili that one last Christmas." He contemplated what to tell her about his art frenzy. "When the weather is good I like to go hiking, and that was the view I saw. The forest melting into the lake in the setting sun. So when I came home I just had to paint it."  
  
"I like it, do you have more of your works here?" She asked him curiously.  
  
"Nah most of them are at home." He replied, trying not to say anything more than he should.  
  
"Do you only paint landscapes?" She continued the unintended interrogation.  
  
"I actually prefer painting people." He quietly replied.  
  
"It's funny I don't think I've ever had a painting of me." She laughed, and he tried not to choke to death. He knew perfectly well he had tones of her sketches, drawings and paintings at home. He was really glad he didn't take them with him.  
  
"I'm more into photography myself." She changed the topic. "Although I'm no artist." She smiled hesitantly, she could see him glare at her, but she could not read his facial expression.  
  
"I could do a painting of you, If you'd like." He finally whispered after a moment of silence.  
  
"I'd love that." She replied gently, trying to ease the tension which suddenly appeared out of nowhere.  
  
After some time their house mates joined them. Fili was more sober so he even tried eating a bit, but Dain just went green and returned back to his room. Gimli and Legolas were chatting enthusiastically about their plans for the new year and their studies. Soon everyone returned to their rooms. But both Kili and Tauriel felt strange when alone. They had spent one evening, one night and one day together, but still they felt it wasn't enough. She tried reading a book, but suddenly decided it was boring. He tried sketching, but the only thing which appeared on the sheet were waves of red hair. He laid down on the bed and held the pillow she had been using the previous night, only to smell her scent on it and pretend she was still there with him.  
  
She thought about how strange that someone would come into her life so quickly and become so important after such a short time. Being honest to herself she even realised that if he would ask her to marry him after just those 24h, she would have said yes. He was cute, witty, gentle and passionate at the same time. He loved cooking and painting, he loved playing the same games and watching the same type of films. She realised she could spend her whole life with him, and not be bored for even a second. It was like he was the other half of her soul. With him she felt complete, safe and at peace.


	11. Chapter 11

She decided she didn't want to spend not even one more minute alone. After eight she went down to the living room and turned on the DVD. She later decided to pay Kili a visit. She gently knocked on the door, but heard no answer, so after a brief moment of hesitation she opened the door. He was sleeping on the bed at least that was what she thought he was doing. So she sneaked up and hugged him from behind.  
  
"Are you sleeping?" She asked straight into his ear.  
  
"No, just thinking." He replied.  
  
"Thinking about what?" She asked tentatively.  
  
"It's going to be really difficult to sleep here without you." She heard him whisper.  
  
"You're not going to sleep yet." She kissed him. "Come on, let's go watch a film. I think we've got some popcorn in the kitchen." She pulled his hand and forced him to follow. And he would never dare to protest.  
  
In the middle of watching Alien, Gimli and Legolas joined them in the living room. Just before the second film, Fili and Dain joined in as well. After the fourth part of the film, they all decided it was time to end for the day. And everyone went to their own room.  
  
As soon as Tauriel came back to hers, she heard a knock on the door. It was Legolas.  
  
"Can I talk with you?" He demanded.  
  
"Of course." She let him enter.  
  
"So how do you like the house, and our house mates?" He asked her sitting down on an armchair.  
  
"The house is great, and I think we'll get along just fine." She replied.  
  
"Are you nervous before tomorrow?" He asked.  
  
"Not really." She replied. "Anxious is more accurate."  
  
"I was just wondering, why are you nervous then?" He asked looking her straight in the eye.  
  
"I'm not nervous." She tried to hide her real feelings.  
  
"You're a horrible liar." He noticed. "So I wish you would never lie to me again." He said in a stone cold voice.  
  
She just remained silent. "I'll be fine." She whispered after a moment. "I have to get used to this, but it's already much better than I thought. I just hope I'll manage with my studies."  
  
"Of course you'll manage. You're too smart not to handle it." He smiled at her. "Just promise me one thing, after all what happened last year, if anyone bothers you, if you feel uncomfortable living with so many men, or anything, promise you'll tell me immediately." He got up and started heading towards the door, and stopped just before the door. "And one more thing, if we ever have a party again, make sure to lock your door." He noticed the slight blush on her face, and briefly wondered about it, but decided not to elaborate just yet.  
  
. . . . .  
  
Sometime before dawn he was woken up by a warm Tauriel who slipped under his cover.  
  
"I couldn't sleep." She whispered. "I hope you don't mind."  
  
"Of course I don't mind."Kili replied softly. He wasn't sleeping well anyway.  
  
They snuggled in together and wrapped each other's arms. Suddenly his bed went from cold to pleasantly warm. He scooped her closer towards him, and gently brushed his lips over her forehead. They feel asleep holding tightly.  
  
She was woken up by sweet kisses, and a fierce tongue and gentle hands. She flipped him over and sat on him, and forced him to deepen the kiss even more.  
  
"I'm never going to get enough of you." She whispered, tearing his pyjamas off him.  
  
"I sincerely hope so!" He smiled and flipped her on her back.  
  
"Tomorrow night, you're walking upstairs." She smiled kissing him. "I'm not going to be the only one snooping around the house at night."  
  
"Any more demands my Queen?" He joked.  
  
"I want more." She simply said.  
  
"More of what?" He asked gently touching her breast.  
  
"More of everything, more of you, more sex, more kisses..." With every word she kissed him going down his body.  
  
"Are you sure you can handle all I can give you?" He asked gasping when she reached her destination.  
  
She grabbed his length into her hands and started to stroke him. "We'll find out soon enough." She took him into her mouth, just to hear him gasp for air. He couldn't believe her, she was so sexual, so thrilling. He grabbed her and forced her down. He pushed his tongue into her mouth, in one swift move pushed her legs open and force himself into her. She trembled at the force he was showing. But it was a pleasant feeling. To feel being wanted that much. She was so wet for him, still feeling the need for more. She knew he would have nail marks on his back later, but she didn't care.  
  
"Until you tire of me, I want sex every day. I don't care when or how, but I want it." She demanded.  
  
He smiled at her wildly, and spoke in a husky tone "I'll never tire of you, you're a dream come true."  
  
"No, you're my dream come true." She pulled him even closer.  
  
. . . . .  
  
Pretending everything was as before was demanding for both of them. Just sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee with all the other people in the house was difficult. He longed to sit right next to her all the time, to touch her, hold her and be able to kiss her in public. Only the idea that they were driving together to the lecture hall, and that they would probably spend a part of the day together soothed his pain. He could get used to sneaking in the middle of the night, getting chaste kisses when they were alone. But he would never get used to restraining himself in all public places.  
  
"Come on registration is at 10!" Tauriel hurried him to finish his coffee.  
  
"I'm coming, just give me a minute." Kili replied.  
  
"I'll meet you by the car." She urged him.  
  
. . . . .  
  
Their schedules were practically identical, at least for MBA, most of Kili's art classes were in the afternoons, so they would enough time to eat lunch together. However later she would have to manage her time alone, which saddened her. They sat together Tauriel working on her laptop, and Kili drawing in a sketch book. First year they had Accounting, International Trade, and many other boring subjects, Kili already knew he would be drawing most of the time anyway. Tauriel curiously kept glancing at what he was drawing, but at least she tried to focus on the lecturer. Soon they discovered one more advantage of having the course together; holding hands under the table was very comforting for both.  
  
They had lunch in a small bar just across the street to the lecturing hall, similarly to many of the students in the area. Soon they had to part, Tauriel decided to return home, and Kili had his first art classes.  
  
. . . . .  
  
Sneaking around worked well for some time, although several times they were really close to getting caught. Like the first time Kili came into her room on the first day of their studies. He stood for a moment looking at her photo on the wall. And then he simply went crazy pulling her down on the floor, and pulling her dress up madly. He took her from behind, bending her backwards and staring at the photo. She was so surprised and trilled with what he was doing, that she forgot about the world. So when her brother knocked on the door, asking why it's locked, she had to focus hard on making her voice normal and answering that she was just changing her clothes. Kili disregarding what was happening still held her tightly and simply slowed down and continued to fuck her. She managed to reply that she would come downstairs in a few minutes, and thankfully Legolas didn't ask anymore.


	12. Chapter 12

Seeing his portrait hanging on her wall, the same she stood by every day when the display was in school. It was his favourite photo, and the fact that she was among those who asked to take it home, he was thrilled beyond belief. She was surprised with his reaction, but was very willing at the same time. They both went into a routine quickly, spending at least half of the night together, going to classes and lunch. It was almost perfect. If they could actually be accepted by their housemates and be able to function as a couple together in public, that would really be heaven for both.  
  
One day everything changed. Tauriel was in Kili's room waiting for him to finish cleaning the kitchen after dinner. She curiously glanced around, and among some books on the shelf she noticed a photo album.  
  
When he finally came back from the kitchen, his worst nightmare came true. She was sitting on the floor, holding in her hands the only thing he never wanted her to see. He forgot about the album, finally having the original next to him. Now he had to look at her going through his photos. Photos on which only one person was shown – her. She stopped on the same photo which was hanging in her room, and looked up straight at him. Her eyes were red and deadly.  
  
"How long?" She asked him.  
  
"Almost six years." He finally gasped out.  
  
"And when were you planning on telling me about this?" Her voice became really cold and distant. "Let me guess – never." Her lips twisted into a wicked smile and trembled. "I wish I never met you." She murmured and ran to her room, taking the album with her.  
  
. . . . .  
  
All their house mates felt the rift between them within days. Both Tauriel and Kili never spoke to each other, and it was clear as day they were avoiding each other. If one was cooking the other was locked in his/her room. They went to classes separately, and came back separately. After some time Kili stopped going to any classes at all. And one day Fili noticed that he hadn't seen his brother at all in days. When he came to his room, it was locked, so he kept knocking until Kili finally hesitantly opened. Fili took in the sight of his younger brother with fear, he was slimmer than ever, probably not eating enough, but what shocked him most was the room itself. All the walls were covered with pictures of Tauriel. Every single wall was covered. It was her and only her.  
  
"Kili what have you done?" Fili whispered terrified. Kili just glanced at him gloomily.  
  
"Are you fucking crazy?!" Fili started to yell at him. "I've told you to stay away from her you imbecile!"  
  
"And now what, you had a little misunderstanding with her, and you whole life is over?!" Fili yelled even louder. "And this crazy stuff again, you really want her to file a stalking report and go to prison? I thought you were mature enough to live together, just become regular friends, but no you just had to overboard again!"  
  
Gimli hearing all the noise decided to come in and Legolas followed after him. But what they saw made them stop dead at the door. Gimli suspected something was going between them, but this was not what he was expecting.  
  
"Oh boy!" He gasped seeing the state of the room and slim shaking Kili being assaulted by Fili.  
  
"What have you done to my sister?" Legolas looked at Kili menacingly, but he did not receive an answer. He wanted to approach the boy, but Gimli stopped him.  
  
"Let the boy be for now, we'll talk to him, go and talk to Tauriel and see how she's doing." Gimli pushed him out of the room. Gimli locked the door behind Legolas and forced Fili to back away from Kili.  
  
Gimli then forced Kili to sit down and gently asked "Tell me all about it, please." So Kili did. He told him about the years of watching, about the countless photos, drawings and pictures. But he primarily talked about how much he loved her. He told him about Azog, about what the school did to her, and what he did to them. He told them about how they were becoming close while living here, and how he was happy, omitting the sex part. And then he stopped in the middle of a sentence. Gimli had to force out of him what really happened in the last three four weeks. So he admitted that she found out. That she saw an album, he took with him from home.  
  
"And where is the album now?" Gimli asked thinking as a lawyer already.  
  
"She took it." Kili answered.  
  
"That means, they have the evidence in their hands. You're in deep shit kid." He admitted.  
  
. . . . .  
  
Legolas did as Gimli told him, he went to Tauriel's room. She had been pale and gloomy the last weeks, but not more then when she was going to high school. He could see she had been crying in the last days, he asked her many times what happened, but she never wanted to talk about it.  
  
This time she was on her bed, her face was red, and she was holding something to her chest. He sat on the bed next to her and gently pulled the object from her hands. It was a photo album. In his head he dared even to call it a Photographic History of Stalking. He flicked threw the photos, and he noticed the changes, it didn't take an expert to know that these photo were taken over several years.  
  
"We're going to the police now!" He demanded from her. But she grabbed the photo album from his hands and shook her head. "That wasn't a suggestion!"  
  
"I'm not going to file a complaint against him!" She told him sternly.  
  
"You should!" He grabbed her hand.  
  
"You don't understand!" She yelled at him.  
  
"Then make me understand." He spoke quietly.  
  
"I think I love him." She whispered very quietly.  
  
"You think you love him?" He raised his eyebrows. "Since when?"  
  
"Since the day we came here." She replied.  
  
"Love at first sight to your stalker? That's Stockholm syndrome, we could get you treated after we send him to prison." Legolas noticed.  
  
"I only found out recently." She admitted.  
  
"Like about three weeks ago?" Legolas noticed. She nodded.  
  
"I'm not going to file a complaint." She told him firmly.  
  
"Well you really should!" Legolas left her alone and went to call their father.


	13. Chapter 13

„How is she doing?" Gimli asked Legolas.  
  
"Are you his lawyer or my friend?" Legolas demanded.  
  
"Both, but right now I'm a very worried friend." Gimli explained.  
  
"She's sad, depressed, and mumbling bullshit about how she loves him." Legolas admitted after a moment of silence.  
  
"Are you going to file a complaint?" Gimli asked.  
  
"I want to but she refuses." Legolas admitted. "He's been stalking her for years, who knows what he could do to her next. He's sick and should be sent to jail."  
  
"He's just a stupid kid madly in love." Gimli pointed out. "He would never hurt her, in fact he's already been protecting her at school that last year."  
  
"He was doing what?" Legolas demanded, so Gimli told him about the deal with Azog, and Legolas was shocked to say the least.  
  
He rushed back to her room and immediately demanded "Why haven't you told me anything about what happened last year?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Tauriel whispered.  
  
"Tell me everything about some Azog from your school." Legolas demanded.  
  
"There's nothing to tell, he got expelled after bullying many kids at school." She curtly told him.  
  
"I'm not interested in just some kids at school. Tell me about what he did to you." He looked sternly at her. So she finally started talking, about the notes, about the molestation, about the harassing, and stalking. She told him what happened later, which now she knew was Kili's doing. "So you're not going to file a complaint because your long time stalker saved you from your harasser?" Legolas asked her crossly.  
  
"No, I'm not going to file a complaint because I love him." She replied and Legolas looked as if her case was hopeless. He slammed the door behind him.  
  
. . . . .  
  
Gimli snuck into her room some time later. She was an equal mess like Kili, she was holding up a bit better, however he could see she had been crying. She was still holding the album to her chest and laying on her side.  
  
"Can I take a look?" He gently asked and took the album from her. He started flipping through the album, only to see some of the best works by the kid. The photos were beautiful, showing her in all her beauty. Those were not just photos a typical stalker would do, they were works of art. Looking at them and remembering Kili's state, Gimli realised the boy wasn't lying he really loved the girl.  
  
"You like looking at this photo?" He glanced to the wall and the huge photo hanging there. She just nodded.  
  
"You love him, don't you?" He asked gently and hugged her. And she hold on to him and cried. "I've tried to be mad at him, but I can't." She started sobbing. "I love him so much, and I can't live without him." She confessed. "But I don't know if I can trust him anymore. He admitted he never wanted to tell me about it, and I'm so angry now."  
  
"Can you blame him for not wanting to tell you? Things were going well between you two, he was happy and so were you. You both probably didn't notice, but I've noticed you've been getting close." She gently hummed in admittance. "He was terrified you'd find out, so he wanted to hide it. He was scared you would stop seeing him and leave him." He made her realise.  
  
"But I can't just go and talk to him, I've said some really bad things to him." She started sobbing more.  
  
"Well, I think you should. You're holding much better than he is, and you are a mess." Gimli admitted harshly. "I don't think he can live without you, and I'm scared he might chose not to." She looked at him terrified with what he just suggested.  
  
. . . . .  
  
"I want to talk to him alone." Tauriel said still holding onto Gimli's hand, as they were standing in front of Kili's door. "And no matter what happens I don't want anyone to come near this room, can you promise me that?" She whispered.  
  
"I'll make sure no one bothers you both." Gimli promised.  
  
She hesitantly took the handle into her hand and opened the door, and immediately she locked the door behind her, and Gimli walked away to keep an eye on Fili and Legolas in the living room.  
  
"Are you sure this is wise?" Fili asked.  
  
"You're all fucked up and crazy." Legolas told them.  
  
"Just shut up both of you and watching TV, go swimming or to the gym." Gimli told them. "I promised her no one of you will bother her right now, and I'm going to keep my promise."


	14. Chapter 14

At first she couldn't see him, the room was a bit dark, pretty messy, but what made her stand there dumb folded were the walls. They were covered with her, sketches, drawings, from floor till ceiling. Suddenly she got pushed into the door, and she looked into two frantic brown eyes.  
  
"Are you here to come laugh at me?" He gasped giving her a cold stare. "You're not really here." He whispered. His eyes were deep and dark. It was evident he was losing his mind, and that he drowned into despair. He started ripping at her clothes and kissing her frantically. He was rough, even brutal, but she didn't dare to protest. Soon he brought her to the floor right where they were standing, he bit her lips, his hands weren't gentle anymore. She knew she would have bruises later, she knew she should protest, but the despair in his eyes kept her silent. It hurt when he entered her, but she just let him do whatever he wanted. Later he was whispering mad things like "You're not really here...". They stayed connected on the floor for a few minutes after, and finally he was slowly coming to himself. From brutally he went into crying and murmuring mad things like wishes for death and that his life was over. She gently touched his face and kissed him and kept saying that she was there, that she would stay there, and that she would always be there. Soon they were both hugging and kissing and crying at the same time.  
  
"I'm so sorry for all I've done." He started telling her. "I wish I never followed you around, I wish I never took those photos and made those drawings."  
  
"I'm not sorry for that." She told him. "If you hadn't followed me around Azog would have probably raped me. We've never talked about it, but at home I've got a packet of notes, descriptions of the worst kind of things he wanted to do with me. He kept touching me, brushing his hands on my body when no one else was looking. I was never so scared in my life, but you saved me. If you hadn't been watching, he could have done all those things to me." She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "The photo in my room is magical, I can't stop looking at it. I don't regret you taking it."  
  
"You want to know what I regret?" She whispered, and he just nodded.  
  
"You should apologize for not coming up to me earlier. For not trying to talk to me all those years ago." She told him. "If you would, this would start all those years ago, and you selfishly took away many years of happiness for both of us. And I'm really mad at you for that."  
  
"I wanted to, but I was too scared. Scared of rejection, scared that you would laugh at me. When everybody started talking about you and Legolas as a couple, I cried for days." He whispered.  
  
"He's just my adoptive brother." She told him. "But no one at school really knew about it. I'm sorry for that."  
  
"I'm sorry." He whispered and started kissing off her tears.  
  
"I'm wondering how come I never noticed you." She started talking with a smile. "You're not that small and that invisible."  
  
"I blend in well into the crowd. However it was a bit more difficult when we going to class together." He admitted.  
  
"We actually went to the same school and to classes together?" She looked at his completely shocked.  
  
"Yup, Maths first and second year, English literature second and third year, and history on the third year." He finally admitted.  
  
"Did you know where I lived?" She asked him hesitantly.  
  
"South Ridge Street 12, the last house on the left with the view over the lake." He quietly replied. "Just fifteen minutes walk from my home."  
  
"Did you observe me at school, or would you follow me around to other places as well?" She asked fearing to hear the answer.  
  
His eyes became sad again, but despite the interrogation he replied truthfully. "I knew you schedule, you would get up and run around the neighbourhood heading towards Miller's Park, and later along North Road back home. Your school timetable was easy to come across, when you got your car in second class you would drive to the mall every Friday afternoon, for some shopping usually alone."  
  
"Well I do admit I like living according to a schedule, but I never thought it would please anyone else but me." She laughed gently. "So I saw photos, drawings, and this whole room is a chapel in my name, what else should I know about?"  
  
He blushed slightly. "Those sketchbooks over there," he pointed towards a drawer, "are all of you. At home my room looks similar to this one more, although more photos are hanging. I've also done a few paintings."  
  
"I'd like to go see your room and each and every photo and drawing and painting you've ever made." She made a firm demand. And he just nodded.  
  
"I can take you there at the weekend." Kili told her.  
  
"Did Fili know about this obsession of yours?" She asked him.  
  
"Yes, the moment he saw you here, he told me to stay away from you." Kili admitted.  
  
She got up and went to pull out the sketchbooks from under his clothes in the drawer. She sat on the bed and he sat right behind her as she began flipping the pages. He was tentatively watching her reaction to the pictures. These albums were drawn already after they started sleeping around, so many were acts, showing her in a sexual way, or sweet and showing a sensitive side to her. Contrary to past photos she saw, these were warm and personal. He must have been drawing them when they were still happy. The walls were covered with beautiful drawings of her, but they were gloomy, dark, clearly the author was depressed when drawing them.  
  
"Let's get to work." She motioned him to get up.  
  
"What work?" He asked looked at her curiously.  
  
"No more depressing drawings of me on the walls. We'll keep them, but on the wall of our room we're only going to have fun photos. Nice pictures, happy pictures." She demanded. "Actually I want to get more photos, but not only of me. I want tones of photos of us."  
  
"Our room?" He finally caught what she had said earlier.  
  
"Since they all already know what's the point in sneaking around?" She asked gently taking off the first drawings from the wall.


	15. Chapter 15

Fili and Legolas had enough of waiting around but Gimli stubbornly told them to sit back down. After almost two hours, Tauriel showed up in the living room. She sat opposite to Legolas.  
  
"So what did you tell father when you called him?" She asked quietly.  
  
"Not much, only that you were in trouble. He's coming to visit on Saturday." Legolas replied.  
  
"So how did the conversation with Kili go?" Gimli asked hesitantly.  
  
"Well enough." She replied. "We've settled our differences." She briefly told them not going into details.  
  
"So you're not going to go to the police?" Fili breathed in deeply.  
  
"There was never such an option for me." She replied looking at him.  
  
"We're planning to go home for the weekend, so I'm going to call dad and say we'll visit him actually." She turned to Legolas.  
  
"You're not really saying what I think you're saying." Legolas spat out.  
  
"What are you implying I'm saying?" She demanded.  
  
"You're not really considering a relationship with that creep?" He yelled at her. "You're behaving like a bitch in heat!"  
  
"What did you call her?" A deadly voice came from the entrance to the living room. Legolas went silent and stood up to face Kili. "I called her what she is behaving like."  
  
"I think you've gone too far Legolas." Gimli joined in.  
  
"So does that mean you two are actually planning to be together?" Fili asked them. And Tauriel as a response went to stand next to Kili, and took his hand.  
  
"Yes, we're together." Kili said straight forward. "And no one is going to call her a bitch." He sent a deadly glare towards Legolas. "We're going home for the weekend."  
  
"And you're planning to talk to uncle?" Fili noticed.  
  
"And her father as well." Kili replied.  
  
"So you're making this official? Good for you kids!" Gimli noticed. "Now let's sit down and later we'll order some pizza after Legolas finally apologizes to his sister." He sent Legolas a firm glare.  
  
"I didn't really mean it, but that doesn't mean I'm enthusiastic about this union." He finally stumbled.  
  
"Then you'll have to get used to it, dear brother." Tauriel noticed sternly.  
  
. . . . .  
  
Dain was surprised to realise a relationship between them came about, but he had seen stranger things in life. For Legolas it was hard to take the relationship, and he was walking about with a stern face most of the time. Fili was relived it was over and the stressed caused by Kili's action was not going to lead to prosecution and other severe consequences. Gimli took the role of negotiator, and tried to ease Legolas and reassure Fili things would work out.  
  
Kili and Tauriel were slowly going over all the things which should have been said over those years. And after slipping all the sour memories away, they indulged into happiness. They didn't care about being seen anymore, so the freely held hands and kissed. No more sneaking around was needed, since they became official, so they deliberately spent all day and night together. It didn't take long for Kili to regain balance and Tauriel promised herself she would never let him succumb to that weakness. Without the stress, the everlasting fear, without all those emotions bottled up in him, Kili was finally showing the real him. And she realized this stronger, more determined and witty version was even more attractive.  
  
The weekend at home was a very emotional one. Thorin was very surprised when he first saw her, but greeted her warmly. He was surprised to say at least, but after hearing they settled everything between them and that she knew about the décor of Kili's room, Thorin decided to see what the future would bring.  
  
After spending the night at his old room, going through all the drawing, photos and paintings, Tauriel made a big selection to take back with them.  
  
Thranduil after hearing so much from Legolas about the trouble Tauriel was in, was really surprised to meet Kili. They boy had a crazy artistic aura around him. He immediately noticed the way they interacted, always aware of the other, trying to touch all the time and existing together in harmony. It was exactly what he had experienced after meeting his beloved wife Ameliana. Looking at the happy couple he began to realise more about Legolas's feelings, and it saddened him that his son would suffer seeing his adoptive sister happy, but he as a father would never try to break a bond of this strength.  
  
"So what are you planning to do in the future?" Thranduil asked.  
  
"Support my husband in becoming the most famous painter on the planet." Tauriel noticed.  
  
"Are you really?" Thranduil noticed with a smile. "Would you please consider finishing your studies first?" He joked with a smile.  
  
THE END


End file.
